Jacqueline Louise Duris

Jacqueline Louise Duris, 93, a longtime resident of Ambler, PA, died on Sunday, February 9, 2025, in her recently adopted home of Crozet, VA. She was blessed with a long and beautiful life defined by her passions for family, friends, books, gardens, and art.

She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late Jack and Zola Kalebain. She graduated from Hughes High School in 1949 and went to work for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. Later in life, she went back to school and fulfilled her lifelong dream of studying art by pursuing degrees at Montgomery County Community College and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Jacquie found a sense of purpose leading youth ministries as a young woman in Cincinnati, and faith remained a constant throughout her life. In 1966, she married Richard Duris, a church organist and music librarian from Pittsburgh, and in 1975 they settled in Ambler. Dick played the organ at Zion Lutheran Church in Flourtown, and Jacquie was a dedicated choir member and church leader for many years.

Jacquie also loved Ambler, and over her 46 years there, nothing made her happier than being at home in her garden; sharing vegetables or flowers over the fence with the neighbors; or walking downtown to the library or the auction. She was a natural organizer with many talents, and at home she was always at work on a project, whether it be gardening; refinishing furniture; or stitching something complicated, colorful, and lovely.

As a community volunteer, she happily brought her can-do spirit and artistic talents to bear as a set designer and actor at The Stagecrafter’s Theater; a volunteer usher at the Ambler Theater; and an early board member for the Weaver’s Way co-op in Ambler.

Family was the heart of Jacquie’s life. She and Dick were married for 42 years, and had a daughter, Beth. Dick and Jacquie’s shared love of travel and the arts led to many happy adventures. After Dick’s death in 2008, Jacquie found love again when she reconnected with Alan Myers, her first love as a teenager working at P&G in Cincinnati. They married in 2017 and moved together to Crozet, VA, before Alan’s passing in 2022.

Jacquie was a devoted mother and grandmother to Beth and her family. She found a kindred spirit in her granddaughter Leah, and their shared passions for art, music, and theater were treasured connections.

In her final years, Jacquie always had a book in her hands, and she never failed to light up when her family and caregivers walked into the room. Her incredible strength, resilience, and humor shone through to the end. Her family will always treasure the legacy she leaves behind.

Jacquie is survived by her daughter Elizabeth Duris [Adam Meyer]; granddaughter Leah [Meyer], brother Jeffery Kalebain [Jane]; nieces Cindy Hartman, Adrienne Duris and Suzanne Duris; and nephews Michael Duris [Sharon] and John Kalebain. Jacquie’s family wishes to thank her devoted caregivers from Nurturing Hands LLC for the compassion and joy they brought into the final years of her life.

Relatives and friends are invited to a memorial service on March 8 at 11:00 am at Shaeff-Myers Funeral Home, 145 Tennis Ave, Ambler, PA 19002. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Ambler Main Street or The Stagecrafter’s Theater.